The Beach
by iAir Nomad
Summary: A trip like this was something that happened only once every several hundred years, when Yubaba feels like being generous. Even if it's only for one day and one night, the Spirit World beach proves to bring people more closer than ever. Chihiro/Haku, R&R!
1. Opportunity

It was a once-in-a-several-lifetimes event where the cruel, cold, snobby and greedy witch Yubaba had a sense of generosity. Once every several lifetimes, for a day of kindness:

She was taking every spirit in the Aburaya for one day and one night to the beach.

The main reason for this was the courage and success Chihiro had after dealing with the filthy, polluted river spirit. For her efforts, the whole Bath House was rewarded this single one-day-one-night trip.

"Rin, what happened yesterday really changed Yubaba's attitude, ne?" Chihiro smiled. Her, Rin, and the other roommates were packing early in the morning at this time.

Rin sighed. "Don't get your hopes up. Although this happens only once every several hundred years, Yubaba is still Yubaba."

As though on cue, Yubaba was speeding down the hall when she stopped at the doorway of the women's bedroom. She observed everyone packing and crinkled her giant nose in frustration.

"Everyone quit packing and listen up! You don't need anything but the clothes on your backs and a towel. For bathing, you will all dive in the ocean," she smirked at this, "That is all. Bring nothing but that!" Then she was gone.

There was silence, then came murmurs. Rin dropped her hands to her sides, letting her luggage splatter all over the floor. She looked at Chihiro. "See what I mean?"

Chihiro looked downcast with slight disappointment, and sighed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When everyone gathered on the main floor, Yubaba explained the "rules" of going to the beach. Thankfully there weren't that many, and it all included things like: "No complaining while we walk there, or I'll turn you into coal" or "stay together, if you fall behind, we're not coming back for you." During the small lecture, Chihiro took his opportunity to look amongst the crowd for Haku, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Alright everyone, let's move out! Single file!"

Chihiro squeezed behind Rin as they practically marched out of the double-doors. It was a beautiful sunny morning, quite warm, and perfect for a nice long walk such as this one. Just before crossing the bridge, the line stopped, forcing Chihiro's tiny body to be mashed between Rin and a giant chick behind her.

There was a moment of stillness when all of a sudden, Yubaba wrapped her black cloak around her and purple sunglasses. She leaped onto the rail of the bridge and sprouted wings from the cloak, and took off into flight, leaving the whole group behind. Every spirit was puzzled and felt left in the dirt.

Then came a strong male voice at the front of the line:

"Yubaba will meet us at our destination! I will be your guide, as her apprentice, and show you the way there—so do _not_ fall behind and keep up with me! Once we cross the bridge, you are welcome to scatter and talk amongst one another. Now, please follow me!"

Chihiro poked her head out from the line and saw him. He stood with his work uniform, a slight breeze carrying his green shoulder-length hair behind him as he stood tall and proud. He looked more handsome than she could remember him ever being.

"Haku…" she whispered. She watched as he turned and lead the group across the bridge, which didn't take too long. When she was free to move herself from the line, she nearly ran to catch up to him, but stopped herself. From the tone of his voice a minute ago, she couldn't say if he would have that cold and distant attitude he had shown her in the elevator, or if he would be kind, caring, and the friend she had come to know and love from the pigpen and the gardens when he comforted her.

However, she hadn't seen him in a couple days, and she missed him. Chihiro came to the conclusion that she'd rather take this risk. So she ran and stopped to walk a little behind him.

"Master Haku?" She had thrown in 'master' for extra measure, just in case he turned out to be cold, as that was what he could expect when addressed.

He turned in response, and when he saw it was Chihiro, the serious face was no more. He smiled so wide and happily that his cheeks must have hurt in an instant, but if it did, he paid no mind.

"Chihiro." He said, the tone of his voice instantly changing lighter and happy. He turned his whole body so he was walking backwards, and extended a hand to her. She grinned, relief washing over her features as she jogged closer to him and took hold of his hand. He was walking forward now with Chihiro at his side. He smiled and laced their fingers together.

"It's been a couple days. You've obviously been working very hard. Your efforts have led us to the beach for a one-day vacation!" He looked at her as they walked on, his eyes softening. "I'm very proud of you, Chihiro." 

She looked away with a shy smile. "Thanks, Haku." 

"Your parents, I'm sure, would be _very_ proud of you, too." 

She sighed, leaning into him a little. "Yeah… I miss them, Haku. I miss them more than words can express."

Haku instinctively leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss on her head. "I know, Chihiro. We'll free them, and you, soon enough. I just need time to think of a plan. I'm afraid you'll just have to wait a little bit longer." He murmured sorrowfully.

She nodded innocently and wiped tears that she had been fighting back. Now wasn't the time to be sad. She had made this trip possible; it was a time of relaxation, joy, and relief after working this hard for so long. She groaned softly mixed with a whimper when the images of her pig-parents kept re-entering her mind and the tears were still coming. She brought up an arm and attempted to wipe them again, having little success. _Stop crying, Chihiro, stop crying…_

Hearing her sniffles, Haku turned to her again, smiling, but with a little mixture of sadness for the poor human girl, his best friend. He had seen her cry many times while she stayed here, and his heart broke _every _time. He squeezed her hand.

"You've had a hard time," he stated. "But don't worry, Chihiro, you and your parents will be just fine. I won't let anything happen to you or them." He leaned in a little and wiped a tear trying to leak from the corner of her eye with his thumb, smiling warmly at her. She couldn't help but smile back, although it was a little weaker, and nodded. How she would repay him for all of his kindness, she wasn't sure. Haku was like the big brother she never had. She knew she loved him, but she couldn't say it was sibling-friend love, or romantic, or which she'd rather prefer.

But for now, he was her brother; her best friend: 

Indeed, her best and closest friend in the whole world—and that was saying something.

With these thoughts, she smiled wider and leaned against him affectionately, which he returned.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

In the back of the crowd, Rin had just enough space to watch the human girl and dragon boy. She smiled at the sight of how affectionate they were with each other, with no blushing or embarrassment or shame with how close they were, at all. Heck, at their ages, they probably would have kissed on the lips and still called each other best friends.

Rin watched every gesture that brought the boy and girl closer. She was amazed in particular with Haku, as she had _never_ seen him like this before. The most he'd ever given Rin was a pat on the shoulder for working hard, and also merely for being his friend. So she couldn't understand exactly why Sen was any different (she didn't know their past at the time – and she also was not jealous, but simply observing).

"They are really cute together," Rin said, smiling to herself. "Maybe this beach trip will help them along…" 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After nearly an hour of walking, Chihiro groaned. "Are we there yet?" 

"Does it _look_ like we're there yet?" Haku chuckled.

Chihiro narrowed her eyes at him and sighed, letting her arms drop, as they were crossed tightly against her chest.

Haku glanced at her. Her eyes were tired and she stumbled from time to time, indicating her legs were also about to give way any moment now. He watched her with pity, then finally stopped and bent down.

"Chihiro," He called. She turned to see he wished to give her a piggy-back-ride.

"Haku, you don't have to…" she trailed off.

"But I want to. C'mon, I don't want you passing out on me," He smiled a little.

She nodded slightly and hesitantly went behind him.

"Hurry, we have to keep moving."

Chihiro took his shoulders and half-climbed, half-jumped on his back. He stood and wrapped his arms under her legs and adjusted her on his back so she wouldn't fall off.

"Am I too heavy?" She asked slowly.

"Not at all," he replied. "We're almost there, but you clearly need a break from walking." He shot her a small smile.

"Thank you, Haku." Chihiro wrapped her arms lightly around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes bidding shut, enjoying this opportunity to be so close to him and get off her feet. A ride like this on Haku was unlike any other piggy-back-ride with her friends back in the human world. It wasn't at all bumpy or uncomfortable, but smooth and enjoyable—so much so that Chihiro could fall asleep, no problem.

"You're too nice to me, Haku," she murmured, which sounded slightly muffled with her face pressed in his clothing.

His eyes softened and he smiled, glancing back at her, and said in a whisper: "You're worth it."

**More to come! This story will only be a few chapters long, so nothing major. I just needed to write something with lots of fluff to get it out of my system, haha! **

**Reviews reviews reviews please!**


	2. Arrival

The familiar scent of saltwater filled Chihiro's nostrils, this unique scent only a beach could have.

"Chihiro, wake up," Haku's soothing voice murmured to her, pleasantly interrupting her half-dreaming, half-awake state. Her lids opened halfway. She was still on his back, but they had finally arrived. Her face pressed up against the back of his neck, she could see the beach and the creamy sand stretching for miles. She raised her head and looked over his shoulder for a better look. The sight made her mouth gape open. The sand was a lovely white color. The ocean was the bluest color she had ever seen for water. The sun shone overhead, illuminating the water and making it sparkle. Birds of all types and colors, some even unseen in the human world, landed gracefully on top of the ocean and float on the surface.

Chihiro had never seen a beach so… so… _perfect_.

Whereas on the beaches in the human world, there were sand fleas, seaweed, garbage and cigarettes and all kinds of dead things washed up on the shore like the beach was meant to be a graveyard, but not here. It looked completely untouched. The only things that drifted to shore were lovely seashells, crabs and rocks. All of this was a sure sign that the beach itself was healthy.

Haku let Chihiro down. She slowly slipped away from him. She had her yellow shoes on, and she immediately took them off. As soon as her bare skin contacted the sand, she wanted so desperately to just fall down and cover herself in it, even sleep there. It was like a giant pillow. She had never felt sand so smooth.

"This place is unbelievable, Haku!" She said, ignoring the extra sounds behind her of the other spirits just arriving and roaming.

"I thought so, too," He grinned, observing the water and the way the tides pushed and pulled so delicately.

"You've been here before?" Chihiro asked, turning to him.

"Many times. Sometimes if Yubaba sent me out on missions, I would get those missions completed and come here for a while just to be on my own before I returned to the Aburaya." 

"What would you do here?"

Haku shrugged. "Just sat on the sand most of the time and checked up on the ocean spirits to see if everything was well."

"There are ocean spirits?" 

"Yes, many of them, in fact. The more physical spirits that guard the ocean are the mermaids." 

Chihiro gasped and grabbed hold of his arm excitedly. "There are _mermaids_?" 

"Of course," Haku blinked, looking bewildered at her. "Do you not see them in the human world?" 

"No, of course not," Chihiro stated with a tone of sadness in her voice, "I would love to meet one!" 

Haku smiled. "I will have to show you. But they only come around towards nighttime, so I'll show you then."

Chihiro blinked. "Why only nighttime?" 

"Because they aren't as disturbed. Many spirits roam the beach here in the daytime, and they don't want to show themselves too often. Once in a great while, they'll wash up on shore and their fish tails turn into legs so they can walk around and communicate with other spirits, but that's not as exciting, now is it?" He smirked.

Chihiro nodded, smiling.

"Come now, let's meet back up with Yubaba," Haku took her hand again and they began walking with the crowd of other spirits.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

With how warm the day was, women were allowed to take off their working top, showing their blue tank top underneath and their pink pants were tied up into shorts, just as how they looked going to bed. Men were able to take off their tops, having only their pants on, like any guy would wear on the beach. But, Haku being stubborn and uncomfortable for whatever reasons he wouldn't explain, he kept his whole uniform together.

Only Yubaba had a swimsuit, which she used (I won't describe how quite disturbing that looked) and lounged on her chair with an umbrella overhead and her purple sunglasses. She wasn't disturbed the entire day, as she had told the spirits to do whatever they pleased. No questions were asked.

For most of the day, as expected, Chihiro spent her time with Haku, and Rin on a few occasions for a game of volleyball, which Chihiro had to teach some spirits, as it was certainly not an everyday spirit world game. While she would play, Haku would simply stand off to the side and watch until Chihiro was done.

There was a time, though, when Yubaba called Haku over to her for something, which he obliged. Rin being busy playing in the water with the radish spirit and Chihiro's stubbornness of not wanting to get her uniform wet, she crouched on the shore with a twig she had found and carved pictures and words in the sand, waiting for Haku to return.

She carved the words "I love Haku" into the sand and waited for the tide to come in and wash it away before her friend would see. But she had no idea he was right behind her and looking over her shoulder with his hands behind his back _as_ she carved this. As she finished spelling his name, his face softened and he grinned.

"I love you, too, Chihiro."

His voice surprised Chihiro so bad that she jumped and fell over into the sand, on top of the words, while letting out a tiny scream.

"H-Haku!" She said, gawking up at his form. Her whole body and voice was shaking violently, and inside, her heart was fluttering wildly with excitement.

"You know," He crouched down beside her, "You can't possibly keep something like that a secret for long from me," he smiled.

"Haku?" 

"But I know I can't keep it a secret from you, either. Not anymore, anyway." 

Haku took the twig Chihiro had used before and carved "I love Chihiro". She smiled at him, but said nothing.

"Why should it be a secret, anyway? We love each other as friends, right?" Chihiro asked.

Haku, for a split second, had an undefined look. Perhaps disappointment?

"Yeah," he said slowly. "As friends. Of course," He smiled wide.

Chihiro smiled back and hugged his neck. "You're the best friend I've ever had, Haku."

Haku wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face against hers affectionately. "As you are mine." 

They stayed in this position for a long time, right up against the seashore. There couldn't have been a lovelier sight. Several spirits had stopped what they were doing to watch the two children wrapped in each other and lost in their world.

"Master Haku?" The little frog murmured to himself. It truly was behavior from his master that had never been witnessed before.

Rin watched as well, unable to stop smiling. Such sweet innocence came from Haku and Chihiro's embrace that she wanted to go hug someone, herself. She decided, though, that fun should be the highest priority right now – romance could wait until this evening.

"Hey, guys! Come play volleyball with us!" She called out.

In the distance, their little heads turned as they broke away only slightly. Some words were exchanged amongst themselves, which made Haku nod, and Chihiro gently pulled away from him and ran off to join Rin. Haku watched her for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the ocean.

"What's going on? Why didn't Haku follow you?" Rin asked Chihiro when she met up with her.

"He doesn't want to play. He's going to sit there for a while. But he said maybe he'll join up with us later," Chihiro replied.

Rin looked over at Haku again. He sat alone at the seashore with his arms wrapped around his legs. A light breeze carried itself and brushed through his hair. He looked so very lonely…

"He really doesn't want to play?" Rin asked again, her eyes saddening.

"Yeah, for whatever reason," Chihiro shrugged.

Rin sighed. "Well, it's his loss. C'mon!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Haku sighed to himself, burying his face in his knees. His suspicions were confirmed – Chihiro thought of him only as a friend, nothing more. He loved her just as much as a friend, but he knew of his deepest feelings for Chihiro; he at least acknowledged that he also loved her in a romantic sort of way. Although, did she really just think of him as a friend, or did she just say that to ease her nervousness? That was also a possibility.

He concluded to himself that he would talk to her tonight about these feelings after visiting the mermaids. Maybe there was still a little glimmer of hope for them both?


	3. Mermaids

After an entire day of sunshine and play, dusk eventually fell. The cooks made bucket-loads of fried rice for everyone under the command of Yubaba. The old witch used her magic to manifest a giant stove that circled the cooks in such a way that at least ten of them could participate in that long process.

And all of this right on the beach, as well! Chihiro had never experienced anything so fun and magical. If she could finally return home with her parents eventually, going to the beach in the human world wouldn't even be able to compare to the excitement the spirits brought here.

Yubaba, being her selfish… well, self, created a cozy tent, but only for her usage. However, she was at least kind enough to manifest sleeping bags and blankets for whoever wanted one. Everyone, except for her, sat and ate outdoors—not that anyone minded. The temperature was cooler in the evening compared to the day under the blazing sun, but not enough to be uncomfortable with blankets wrapped securely around them.

Chihiro ate with her three best friends, naturally: Haku, Rin, and Kamaji. She was happy even Kamaji was permitted to go, but it was hardly any different from being in the Bath House. Yubaba put him to work regularly, although it was different work and more consisted of fulfilling her desires directly, instead of the Bath House as a whole. However, he did have time to relax when eating and in the evening as they were preparing for bed. Kamaji could stay up however long he wished without being scolded. But, being a tired old spirit after working hard on a consistent basis, he went to bed straightly after dinner, even while the sun was just starting to set and light orange, pink, and yellow colors filled every inch of the sky.

Through the course of dinner around their small fire bursting with life, Haku was strangely quiet, soundlessly munching on his small bowl of fried rice while listening to conversations and stories being shared amongst the quartet. He only responded to general "yes" and "no" questions, unless of course Chihiro asked him something that would require more than that. She purposefully made this frequent just to get him involved with the conversation.

"It was horrible, one of the stairs broke off, and I was so scared that I _ran_ down them! I was screaming my head off. It's one of those situations where once you start going, you can't stop until you… hit a wall," Chihiro explained and took a bite of her rice. "Why do you guys have such a long flight of stairs, anyway? It's terrifying," She shivered at the awful, yet humorous memory. Haku hadn't heard this story before, so he grimaced at the mention of her screaming while running down the stairs when he specifically told her (and for a good reason) to not make a sound in the process of finding the boiler room.

"Well, who can blame you? It was nighttime, you're very high up and one of the stairs breaks under you, and you're all alone…" Kamaji trailed off, then took another bundle of fried rice and raised it to his mustache-covered lips.

Haku felt like he was just slapped in the face. He felt nothing but regret for not being there for Chihiro when this happened, and he completely left her alone that night, frightened and confused, when she accidently stumbled into the spirit world. But at the same time, he couldn't stay long with her before he would smell like a human, himself, and others would become suspicious. Besides, he could see this string of events made Chihiro braver and stronger as the days passed. The whole experience of being here and living in the spirit world, even though temporary, had benefitted her—no matter how frightening the situation. Even the stairs probably served a purpose of shaping who Chihiro has and is becoming.

As the conversations carried on between Rin and Kamaji, Haku leaned toward Chihiro's ear and whispered into it, which caused her to smile and nod to him: They had agreed to wait until everyone, especially Yubaba, fell asleep and then they would take off to the water's edge to see the mermaids… and finally discuss a few… important matters afterwards.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The hushed breathing and snoring in the late hours of the evening indicated it was time.

Chihiro had decided to get some rest early (and avoid suspicion of their plans), knowing she might be up for a while later. With the nearly dead fire putting distance between Haku and Chihiro and Rin and Kamaji, surely this would be a simple task and they could slip out without creating even a stir among their friends. Haku sat up in his sleeping bag and looked to Chihiro's sleeping form right next to him. Watching how peaceful she seemed, he wondered faintly if he really should wake her at a time like this. Their plan suddenly felt selfish on his end.

But then again, she expressed desperate desire to see these mermaids, and he needed to talk to her on top of that, anyway. He figured she would be cranky and upset at first he was waking her at such an ungodly hour of the night, but would be even _more_ upset in the morning with him for not; and he certainly wouldn't forgive himself, either.

_It's now or never, Haku…_

His hand trailed over to rest on the sleeping bag where her cheek would be, although soft cotton material acted as a barrier between her face and his touch. A thought struck him for an instant – how he would love to be that cotton blanket wrapped so securely around her, if they were only arms—his arms.

The daydream left him as quickly as it came.

Haku released a silent breath he realized he had been holding this entire time. He attempted to gently shake her awake.

"Chihiro," He whispered, "Chihiro."

A small groan came in response from the ten-year-old brunette, and then a soft whimper-like sound as she tried to escape back into her dream state. She turned herself so her back faced him and her ponytail sprawled out behind her.

Haku sighed through his nostrils and leaned over her ear, whispering: "Chihiro, I know you're tired. But do you want to see the mermaids or not?" He said this almost teasingly—testing her willingness. Another tiny grunt answered him and he dared to bring himself closer to her. He reached over and grasped the top of her arm while resting his chin on top of her shoulder.

"Chihiro?" He whispered once more. "Are you awake?"

"M… hm…" She replied quietly and soft, muffled with her face in her rumpled tangle of blankets.

"Do you want to continue sleeping?" He murmured.

"M… mm…" She shook her head, slightly.

He pat the top of her arm once, where he was grasping before and propped himself up more with his elbow. "Alright, well try getting yourself up, if you want to see them that badly."

The side of her blankets rose and fell deeply, like she was sighing. She raised her head from her pillow for a split second in an attempt to get up, but still in her half-awake, half-asleep state and the tug of gravity, she dropped it back down again with a small _plop_. She turned her body so she faced Haku, her lids halfway open, and she let out a quiet yawn.

"Bring the mermaids to me…" She mumbled groggily.

Haku smiled. "Sorry, but you'll have to _earn_ your time with them, they won't just come to you because you're lazy."

She groaned and sat up a little. "Fine, I'm awake, I'm awake. I'll _earn_ my time with them," she spat, a little too loudly to Haku's liking. He sat up as well, took her by one shoulder, and cupped a hand over her mouth.

"Shh, we must not wake anyone. Try to keep your voice low. Unless you want to be caught and turned into a pig or a piece of coal," he said, hushed but stern. She shook her head, worry washing over her face in an instant at the mention of Yubaba catching them sneaking off. He released his hand from her mouth, only to bring both up to cup her cheeks. He smiled warmly at her, a dramatic change from just a second ago, and whispered: "Alright, let's go." 

0o0o0o0o0o0

Chihiro still had yet to truly wake up. But once they reached the water's edge, the rush of frigid water over Chihiro's feet was enough. She gasped in surprise with just how cold it was at night and quickly rushed out and back to Haku's side, grasping his arm.

"Is the tide in? I wasn't expecting the water to reach so far," she shivered.

Haku chuckled low. "I'm afraid yes, Chihiro, you had rotten luck for a minute there."

She scoffed at him and looked down at her feet as they walked along the shoreline, farther and farther away from camp. She was shocked to see they hadn't turned blue.

Chihiro shivered from the cold air and held Haku's arm tighter, pressing her body as close as she could manage to his, yearning for the body warmth he exuded to rub off somehow on her. Haku didn't object, so she kept at it until he pointed out, finally:

"You're cold," He glanced at her. Her chattering teeth and wide eyes were all he needed to know this statement was true. 

"Here," He untied the lavender sash holding together the top layer of his work uniform. They had stopped momentarily at this point, Chihiro standing off to the side with her arms wrapped around herself, completely desperate and warmth deprived. The only thing she had was her pink pants and blue tank top. She mentally kicked herself for not putting the top layer of her uniform back on before they left.

Haku slid off his jacket over his head and approached Chihiro. He then slid it over _her_ head and tied the sash around to keep it in place. The colors were a strikingly bad combination, but that certainly was not what mattered most. Haku's sky-blue pants and dark blue undershirt were still kept with him.

Haku rested a hand on her shoulder. "Better?" 

Chihiro crossed her arms over her chest, feeling the warmth of his body heat lingering within the fabric. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Haku." 

He returned the smile in reply and gently pushed her along with him, a hand on her back.

"What about you?" She eyed his bare arm exposure to the chilly air with concern.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. It's not very cold for me," he answered kindly.

Chihiro figured this had to be some kind of dragon thing, to walk around in snow on a freezing winter day, and this uniform was all Haku would still be wearing, running hot all the time. _Dragons… _Chihiro mumbled in her thoughts.

"When will we get there? We probably shouldn't stray too far away from camp," she said, looking behind her and noticing fog moving in and clouding her sight of her other sleeping friends.

"We won't, Chihiro. It's just up ahead here," he smiled.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Where they soon stopped looked no different than the rest of the beach.

Chihiro furrowed her eyebrows at the sight of just more water and sand. "Here?" 

"Yes," was all Haku answered her with. Chihiro stood silently and watched beside him as he crouched down. Before she could question what he was doing, he reached out a hand and dipped it into the water. Suddenly, a soft glow emitted from that hand, and for a couple minutes, they waited. Chihiro held her breath. This is it! 

Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest and she gasped with a combination of excitement and fright when long, slender fingers appeared under the water, reaching for Haku's hand. The hand soon met his and held it.

And then, a head emerged to the surface, gazing at Haku. Chihiro felt put to shame from seeing the extraordinary beauty from this face. She had the longest shiny, red hair drooping over her wet and bare shoulders, and then trailing behind her, floating on the surface of the calm water. Her skin shined from the moon's glow. Little elf-like ears poked out from her silken hair on the sides. Even her brown eyes, sparkling in wonder at the boy kneeling in front of her, put Chihiro's to mortification. Chihiro's face dropped from wonder to an expression that held a tinge of jealousy and sadness.

A slap against the water made Chihiro jump out of her pitiful thoughts to herself. She looked behind the mermaid to see a very large, heavy-looking tail, wet and glistening. The wonder and amazement returned to Chihiro as she fixed her eyes and studied the tail gently slapping against the water. She hardly noticed the mermaid had brought herself closer to Haku and reached up one of her graceful hands to his cheek, attempting to bring herself to his face and, if she was lucky, a peck on the lips. Chihiro was brought out of her trance when he reached up a hand to the mermaid's forehead and gently pushed her away to keep a distance between them.

"Don't," he said firmly, unyielding to her endeavor.

She smiled at him in a sly way. "And why ever not?"

Haku didn't reply to this, but kept his face stern and his voice commanding whenever he spoke. Chihiro raised her eyebrows at the mermaid, wondering what she had just tried to attempt on her dear friend.

It wasn't until at this time the mermaid had actually noticed Chihiro's presence. Her eyes wandered and found Chihiro's. She nearly shrieked, but held it in and remained calm.

"What is a human doing here?" She glowered at poor Chihiro.

"She is my friend, Chihiro," Haku answered, still in that stern voice of his.

The dislike the mermaid expressed through her face and eyes suddenly switched to sweetness that Chihiro did not trust.

"Chihiro, hmm?" She brought a hand up to pet Chihiro's hair and down her cheek, and held her chin. "If she is a friend of the Master Haku, then I will show the same respect and kindness. She is quite cute."

Chihiro's eyes wandered, trying in every way to avoid eye contact with the mermaid. So that was it. She only expressed kindness because of Haku being there. And here she was, hoping to make friends with these unbelievably gorgeous creatures. Haku hadn't warned her that the mermaids were like this. Was it all for nothing?

"Chihiro, dear, look at me," Said the mermaid in that tone of sweetness. "I don't bite, now don't you worry."

Finally the brunette gave in and looked her in the eye. Immediately, any feelings of jealousy, regret, pity, or anything else of the sort melted away.

"See? Not that hard. Would you like to be friends?" The mermaid cooed.

Chihiro blinked. Did the mermaid really care, or was she just saying that to please Haku?

"Are you sure?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well, what reason do I have not to be sure?"

"Because I'm a human and you're only treating me like this because of Haku," Chihiro spat. She immediately clasped her mouth after it was released. Instant regret.

The mermaid showed hurt in her eyes, and Chihiro wanted to slap herself over and over or have someone do it for her, harder than she could by herself. How could she? The mermaid seemed to actually have been honest! 

Chihiro released her hand and sighed, looking downcast. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it. But the first part is true – I'm just a mere human. Why would you want to be friends with someone as ordinary as me?" 

A startling laugh escaped the mermaid's lips, like a sweet melody. "You really are a silly girl. My kind has made friends with every spirit in every shape, form, kind… you name it. Every animal, every life form out there. You are just another out of thousands. My kind has never come in contact with a human, and you deeply intrigue me. I can see your whole story in your eyes."

Chihiro's eyes sparkled with hope. She looked over at Haku who had been watching their whole interaction, and he smiled and nodded to her, giving his consent.

"Then let's be friends!" Chihiro exclaimed happily, nodding. The mermaid laughed joyously as she stretched back and dived into the ocean, splashing about.

_Until next time then, little human Chihiro! _

The voice of the mermaid in Chihiro's head shocked her, but Haku assured her it was normal in the spirit world: telepathy.

Chihiro gripped the sand. "Wait!" She called.

The mermaid's little head popped out from surface in the distance, the water reaching just over her nose as she eyed Chihiro.

_Yes?_

"What is… your name?"

The mermaid's giggle rang through Chihiro's head. _Sayuri!_

"Sayuri," Chihiro echoed to herself. She watched the tail splash against the water again as Sayuri disappeared beneath the surface.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"They're amazing. I'm so happy I finally got to meet one… thank you so much, Haku," Chihiro and Haku had been moving along the shoreline again. But instead of going back to camp, Haku was leading her farther away from it with the intention of what he promised himself would happen after the mermaid encounter. He smiled down at Chihiro as she clung his arm and rubbed her face affectionately against his shoulder in gratitude.

"Anything for you, Chihiro," he murmured. He looked ahead and saw they were nearing a cliff, so he took this opportunity to reach up and take her hand in his. "Come," he said.

The giant boulder required Chihiro and Haku to climb a little to make it to the edge. It was no problem for Haku, but Chihiro struggled. He took her hand and helped her along. But at about halfway, Chihiro insisted that she climb on her own and she could do it. Reluctantly, but willingly, he let go of her hand and climbed at his own pace while she climbed at hers. He, naturally, was the first to make it to the edge. He stood alone for a couple minutes, staring out at the ocean a little ways below, putting together in his head and preparing for what he would say to Chihiro very soon.

"Haku?" 

He didn't even flinch at the sound of Chihiro's voice nearing behind him. She walked on the rocky surface to join his side, observing him curiously. He looked down and closed his eyes. The only sound for a few moments was of the waves crashing against the boulder and washing up on the shore. The sounds of nature gave Haku a little peace and reassurance.

Finally, he raised his head and looked her in the eye. "Chihiro, I'd like to talk to you about something."


	4. Closer

**Edited just a little bit and reuploaded =) **

_"Chihiro, I'd like to talk to you about something."_

Chihiro stared at Haku with curiosity shining in her brown eyes. From his expression and tone, and the fact that he brought her all the way out here and made her climb to the top of this boulder _just_ to not be disturbed told her this was a serious matter.

She looked briefly towards the ocean exhaled deeply but quietly, listening attentively to the crashing waves below. Haku only watched her calmly but with slight desperation, as if silently asking for her consent to continue. She finally lowered herself and sat on the jagged rock surface, and turned her gaze to him. She nodded for him to continue. Haku, standing, then smiled a little and lowered, sitting cross-legged beside her. Chihiro hugged her knees tight to her chest and waited.

"It's more a personal matter, really, that I felt… I needed to address," Haku started, speaking slowly and with shyness he tried so hard to conceal. There was a long pause as Haku carefully organized words the words in his head, while also trying to gather his self-control and keep from trembling all over with nervousness. On the outside, he did appear as calm and collected as he hoped he looked, but in the inside was utter chaos and a variety of mixed emotions tossed in a great big blender. There was a fear that Haku had attempted numerous times to shove out of his mind, but it just kept coming back to nag him, that pessimistic side: What if this completely jeopardizes their friendship? Would Chihiro turn away from him without a single word? Would she reject his feelings? Would she ever even want to see him again after this? 

He looked at Chihiro full on, who was still waiting patiently and even beginning to worry with how long he was taking with this. Her innocent, worrisome look as she watched him made him realize that Chihiro was just not that kind of person to react so harshly in response to his feelings he longed to express. And if she was going to turn him own, he knew she would try in every way possible to do it in a kind manner. This was part of many of the reasons he admired and loved her like this so.

With courage restoring, he figured he shouldn't keep her waiting much longer. She spoke before he could: 

"Is something wrong?"

He turned to her and smiled, softly. "Not at all. Why I brought you here… what I wanted to say… it's just a little difficult to think of how to say it," He murmured, taking a small rock in front of him and feeling its smooth texture between his thin fingertips. He wanted to be this rock. No rough or sharp edges, just smooth and content, happy to know he at least told her.

"Haku?" He heard her murmur, making him smile wider. He took notice of a small, jagged, rough rock to the side. With these rocks, he decided to set an example for her.

"You see these two rocks I'm holding right now, Chihiro?" He asked, holding each one carefully in his palms.

She nodded, confused by where this was leading. "Yes?" 

"And you see this rough rock here? This is what I am feeling at the moment. I'm a mess of emotions, Chihiro, rough and unsure." 

"Unsure of what?" She asked, leaning towards him a little.

Haku paused, and then closed his hand over the rougher rock, then turned his gaze back to her. His smile was replaced by a look of a child who couldn't find their toy. "Of how to express my feelings for you," he replied.

She blinked, concern washing over her facial features again. "Feelings?"

He nodded and turned away. "This smooth rock here is what I want to become… content that you at least know… that you at least know…" He trailed off and fended a shy blush creeping up. He looked down so his hair covered her view of his face. "How much I care for you," he concluded in a soft murmur.

Chihiro, on the other hand, was not angry or disappointed in the very slightest. More so, flattered. His affections reached beyond his fondness to her as a friend or a sibling, and he wanted to openly express that. She admired his courage, more than anything.

However, she was unsure now, herself, on what to say next. He hadn't warned her this was coming and she didn't have time to really think on it. She let her legs drop in a cross-legged position like he was in and reached for a smooth rock in front of her, similar to the one he held in his hand.

"I… I care a lot about you, too, Haku," she said softly.

"How do you think… you would identify your care, though, Chihiro?" He asked curiously.

"I really… don't know which way I'd rather have it. I know I love you, Haku, but I don't know what kind," she replied sadly.

He smiled, satisfied with at least that. He reached up a placed a reassuring hand on her back. "Maybe it will become clearer to you as you grow older, ne?"

Chihiro, despite his reassurance, still wallowed in sadness and anger directed at her self for being so distorted with her feelings. "I'm sorry, Haku…" She whispered quietly.

As if sensing how angry she was at her self, Haku smiled and shook his head. "Chihiro, don't beat yourself up. Take your time, it's all right. I'm content enough to call you my best friend for now, if that is where your heart is leaning more towards." 

"But…" she mumbled, and trailed off.

Seeing she probably had nothing further to add after a minute, Haku turned his gaze out to the ocean, with his reassuring hand still on her back. Chihiro gathered her own thoughts and emotions during this time.

There was a _long, heavy _stillness and quiet that fell between them. Haku considered, after a while, heading back to camp. The conversation, the way he saw it, was over. Chihiro was unsure, and he of course respected that. And she had her whole life ahead of her to figure it out if she chose to, they were in no rush whatsoever. And for the life of him, Haku would never rush her feelings. She at least admitted she loved him in some fashion. That was enough.

"Haku, have you ever been kissed?" Both Chihiro's sudden voice and odd question startled him.

He turned to her with his eyebrows raised, taken aback. "Um… no, I haven't," he blinked a couple times, the shy blush from earlier creeping back up. Although it was dark, he could faintly see a small blush forming on her cheeks as well. She looked down and nervously rubbed her ankles.

"Well… I haven't, either. But… there has to be a first time for everything, right?" She glanced up at him shyly.

"Yeah, I… I suppose. Chihiro, are you suggesting that we…?" He paused.

She nodded hesitantly. "I just… want to try it. To see what it feels like, that's all. Don't you?" She tried to look at everything else but him, clearly embarrassed by this rather… forward suggestion.

"Chihiro," he murmured, face softening, and a small smile he couldn't resist spreading across his lips.

Her eyes slowly trailed up his figure and to his face with incredible uneasiness. Was she really even _worthy_ of asking such a question? Was she even _worthy_ of being his first kiss?

She waited for him to respond to this recommendation, but from the look on his face, she already knew the answer. And he didn't need to say anything to further explain his smiling.

The curious children proceeded in making it work. They moved in closer to each other and turned their bodies so their knees were touching. Haku reached into her lap for her hands and held them within his, and brought them up to the sides in midair. Then, like magic in an instant, Haku intertwined their fingers and leaned in. One swift, graceful movement and Chihiro felt numb as his lips touched hers.

That moment, that feeling—was beyond magical, to say the very least. It was hardly intense. Haku expressed such gentleness with the way his lips moved against hers only slightly from time to time. Sweet shyness and child-like innocence had taken the reigns with this kiss. It felt never ending, but when Haku slowly pulled away, it seemed like there hadn't been _enough_ time.

Chihiro breathed a content sigh, briefly looking down with bashfulness and back up to meet his eyes again. She smiled: "Thank you," was all she said as Haku intertwined their fingers tighter and connected their foreheads affectionately, closing their eyes, wanting nothing more from the world than this.

After a while, however, Haku stood first and pulled her up.

"You can start climbing down, I'll follow you in just a second," he told her. She nodded and began walking along the bumpy boulder beneath her feet. She spread her arms out to keep herself in balance. When she reached the climbing point, she looked back at Haku and watched him. His back was turned, but she could see him holding and caressing with his fingers the smooth white rock in his palm. Then she understood: He felt as smooth as that little rock: Calm, gratified, happy. Not a single rough or sharp edge.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The walk back to camp was quiet, but not uncomfortable. No words were spoken between the pair—facial expressions and little kind gestures (holding hands, pats on the shoulder, tiny side-hugs and such) said it all. When the pair arrived back at camp, the fire had died completely. The only remnants of its little existence was the tiny stream of smoke rising to the air. Every friend, every spirit, was right where Haku and Chihiro had left them.

Relieved no one had woken and become suspicious, Haku and Chihiro exchanged a smile and lowered themselves on their separate set of blankets next to each other. Chihiro realized she was still wearing Haku's top – she apologized and took it off, handing it back to him. They wrapped themselves in their blankets and Haku closed his eyes. Chihiro snuggled further into her pillow, but her eyes were wide open as she studied Haku's face, so calm and peaceful. She watched almost longingly.

Figuring she could come up with a good excuse in the morning and it wouldn't be any big deal, she slid her bed set-up across the sand and closed the distance between her blanket and Haku's. He didn't flinch, even as he felt her climb into her blankets again and snuggle against him. Their foreheads, even noses touched, they were that close; and their lips were just centimeters apart. But that tiny gap was never closed. They remained content with just this innocent feel of protection and nearness. Haku didn't seem surprised in the slightest at Chihiro's actions. He didn't even open his eyes as he reached his arms out and wrapped them around the upper part of her back, and bringing her, if possible, closer.

**Well, this was meant to be the last chapter. Do you guys think it's good ended here, or should I make one more (Like what happens the next day, etc.)? **


	5. Return

**Here's the last chapter for you all that requested it! =) Enjoy.**

"Well, well, well—would you look at this, Kamaji!" Rin's teasing voice rung through Chihiro's ears, interrupting her most pleasant dreams.

"How sweet. Although, they should wake up and separate soon before Yubaba catches them like this," Kamaji's raspy voice answered her. She heard him sigh. "And who knows how she would torture these poor children if she does." 

"Well, Kamaji, I'm enjoying this while it lasts. Who knows if we'll ever see them like this again!" she giggled.

Chihiro groaned and crinkled her nose at the noises of reality, breaking through her slumber. She brought the covers over her head and snuggled further into what she thought would be her pillow, but her nose instead met Haku's cheek. She had forgotten how close she was to him.

"Chihiro," she heard him murmur kindly. "We should get up now."

Chihiro groaned once more, unwilling to open her eyes. She heard the loud calls of seagulls, the morning dew on her face, and the crash of waves not far off in the distance, and yet sleep still sounded more appealing.

She felt as Haku raised his head, propping himself up with an arm, looking around. Then came the tickling sensation of his fingers moving along her cheek and coming up to rest his hand on her head.

"Come on, Chihiro, we can't have Yubaba seeing us close like this. Please try," Haku entreated in that soft voice of his.

Chihiro exhaled slowly, then finally allowed her eyelids to flutter open: Another beautiful, sunny day, but still as cold as last night. She met Haku's gentle green eyes smiling at her. She returned a tired smile and yawned, sitting up and extending her arms up into a long-awaited stretch. Her hair was a tangled mess, but having not brought anything such as a brush, as Yubaba said, she didn't have a choice but to go through it with her fingers and simply redo it. Yubaba explained that everyone would take care of their personal needs when they returned to the Bath House before work (as much as she loved to see others suffer than herself, she wouldn't have her workers unclean and groggy-looking because it would make her business look bad), but Chihiro desperately wanted to take a bath and fix herself _now._ She figured she probably wasn't alone in that regard.

As Chihiro and Haku started waking up, Kamaji and Rin had left momentarily to get breakfast for the four of them. They returned a few minutes later with onigiri.

Chihiro sat on her blankets, fixing her ponytail as Haku rolled up his blankets and tied a string around it.

"Rin, do you think I have time to jump in the ocean real fast before we go?" She asked.

"Mm… you guys slept in a little, and we'll be leaving within the next hour. You'd have to be quick."

Chihiro nodded, reaching for the onigiri offered to them and taking a bite out of it. She closed her eyes and practically melted at the delicious taste. "Hm, can do."

"Chihiro, you eat the rest of your onigiri and I'll take care of your blankets. You should also wash up," Haku said.

She was going to thank him, but after his last comment, she furrowed her eyebrows and took a rough bite out of the onigiri this time. "What are you trying to say, Haku?" (She figured he meant to say that she stank)

Haku looked over at her and tried desperately not to burst out laughing. Little bits of rice clung to her lips and chin, even a couple on her cheeks. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks puffed out with the mouthful of food as she gave him a blank stare.

Instead of laughing (as much as he wanted to), he only smiled and turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

She briefly narrowed her eyes at him, then stood up and finished the rest of her onigiri. "Well then, I'm going for a short swim." 

"I'll come with you, Sen," Rin called as Chihiro spun around on her heel and began walking to the ocean. Rin lagged behind her and looked over her shoulder, giving Kamaji a "talk-to-him" look. Kamaji thankfully caught on and nodded.

Rin caught up with Chihiro and looped an arm through hers, thinking up questions in her head to ask—or rather, which questions to _choose_ to ask—as there was a whole list of them running through her mind based on what she saw this morning.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Rin didn't wait for a single moment to start asking things after they had stripped their clothes behind a boulder and swam into the ocean. Only a couple other women had joined them in the water, so they had a bit of privacy to talk.

"Alright, Sen, fess up. What's going on between you and Haku?" Rin asked in a stern and suspicious tone. "First you're asking me every other hour where he is, then that morning a couple days ago you had snuck off—not to mention scaring me to death. Then on the walk here you and him are all… hug-gy and he gave you a kiss on the head, and… then this _morning_… I don't think I need to further explain myself."

"Uh," was Chihiro's only reply to Rin's ranting. She pressed her back against the same boulder they had stripped their clothes behind and sunk lower into the water, letting it pass over her mouth so she had an excuse not to speak. It was embarrassing the way Rin put it. If she had simply asked if anything was going on between her and Haku, she would have gladly told her, but Rin's suspicions and the way she explained her observations, for whatever reason, made Chihiro less inclined to tell. Could she trust Rin? She was her assistant and friend, but that didn't mean she wouldn't go off and tell her other friends if Chihiro told her the story. The worry rose as Chihiro connected the dots in her head: She would become a tease or a laughing stock amongst the other spirits, just when things were becoming a little normal and she was being accepted. Not to mention if the other spirits knew, someone out there would for sure be prone to pass the news onto Yubaba. Then who knew what Yubaba would do to her own apprentice or Chihiro.

"Well? Sen?" Rin's loud voice broke through her stream of thoughts.

Chihiro raised her head out of the water and sighed, pretending to look bored as her eyes glazed off into the distance.

"Nothing is going on between me and Haku, Rin. We're best and close friends." 

Rin eyed Chihiro incredulously. "Well what was that I saw this morning? You two were in quite a close position." 

"I was cold last night and Haku allowed me to lie next to him for extra body warmth," Chihiro knew all about this from school back in the human world! "It was more so for… survival," she pouted innocently.

"Yeah, because this is the Antarctic," Rin teased.

"_It was cold!_" Chihiro cried.

Rin laughed, hard. Chihiro joined in a little as well, realizing how stupidly put together those words probably were after all. She toppled over her spirit friend, laughing a little more insanely, creating a big _splash_. Rin gasped as she popped her head out from the surface and threw water into Chihiro's face. They continued playing like this until one of the women had stepped out of the ocean and called for Rin and Chihiro to come back and dry up before it was too late.

Through their drying, slipping their clothes back on, and heading back to the guys, the two female friends were giggling nonstop, and the questions regarding Chihiro and Haku had slipped away from Rin's mind completely. Suspicions were long forgotten, much to the relief of the ten-year-old brunette, and the subject wasn't brought up again.

When Rin and Chihiro arrived back to rejoin with Haku and Kamaji, Haku was sitting beside the re-burning fire and eating his onigiri. His cheeks, for some reason, were flushed. When he saw Chihiro, he ducked his face and ate slower. Rin looked over at Kamaji, who looked like he wanted to suddenly burst out laughing. Something told her that Kamaji had, indeed, talked to him. As soon as Chihiro sat down next to him, Haku abruptly stood and walked away.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"I sure am going to miss this place," Chihiro mumbled to herself. They had twenty minutes left before they would leave and return to the Aburaya. She took this opportunity, since she had breakfast and washed and had nothing better to do, to sit at the shore and watch the sun rising a little higher by the minute, once more illuminating the ocean. She didn't allow the water to reach up more than over her toes, but where it would touch her, it felt nice and refreshing as the temperature started to rise as well.

She sighed, then inhaling the scent of salt water, savoring every moment, every smell, and the sight while she was here. This was the only time they would ever have a real break from work. Until she could free her parents and herself from her contract with Yubaba, this was it.

Chihiro gasped and nearly fell over. Her parents! She almost forgot them while she spent her time here, living luxuriously while they were getting fatter and fatter by the days and doing nothing but sleeping in their pens, and dangerously close to getting eaten. When they return to the Aburaya, she would have to drag Haku there to check up on them and make sure they were still even _there_.

"Mommy… daddy…" Chihiro sniffed, her vision becoming blurry again with tears. She hugged her knees and rested her head between them. Haku assured her that he would help in every way possible to get her out of this situation and her parents, but even someone as powerful as him could only do so much. 

How was she going to get out of this? 

"You're crying," A soothing voice interrupted her quiet sobs, and then a gentle hand lie itself on her shoulder. Haku.

Chihiro's sobs reduced to sniffles, but she didn't turn to look at him, only buried her face in her knees more. She felt him crouch next to her, wrapping an arm around her back. It was like the gardens a couple days ago all over again, when she snuck out to meet him and see with her own eyes the results of the Spirit World's spell on her parents. Haku didn't say anything further, only comforted her with his presence for the remainder of their time there, and until her sniffling was reduced to silence.

0o0o0o0o0o0

It was a long process just to get all the spirits out of the beach area. Yubaba was her cranky, usual self, yelling at everyone to hustle so they could get back to work faster. She ordered for Haku and told him to lead everyone, then took off in her bird-form, just like yesterday morning. As soon as she left, everyone slowed down – not wanting in the slightest to return to work as fast as possible. Even Haku slowed his pace quite a bit in the front. Resuming missions and working again was the last thing he wanted to do right now.

Chihiro instantly caught up with Haku. He turned to her with a warm smile and took her by the hand again.

"You feel better?" He asked.

She nodded, sniffed, and rubbed away any lingering water in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that I remembered my parents again – I almost forgot them."

"Another part of Yubaba's spell once you're under her contract. Not only does she steal your name, but over time if you stay too long, you will lose memory of anything else you loved."

Chihiro furrowed her eyebrows at him, pained. "That's… terrible."

He sighed. "I know. My real name is lost because I don't remember the origin of where it came from. Unlike you, I don't have anything with me to once again remember my former life before coming to the Bath House."

Chihiro didn't know how to reply to this. It was either going to be pity or silence, and he didn't seem in the mood for pity. So she chose silence.

"But, it's alright," Haku smiled a little. "My life here in the spirit world really isn't that bad. I'm given a place to stay and everything I really need. I just wish Yubaba wasn't an additional part of it," he frowned again.

There was a long pause before Chihiro spoke again. "Why does she keep doing that?"

"Hm?"

"Like, leaving you in charge of leading us and then she takes off in that bird form? It's happened twice now." 

Haku chuckled. "She just wants to get there before the rest of us. She doesn't want to waste her time and energy walking, apparently. Plus she wants to get back to Boh as quickly as possible—that's why we left so early."

"Boh?"

"Her giant baby. She left him to sleep all day and night. Only one of the workers stayed behind to look after him, much to his dismay—Yubaba's orders. She wanted to get back to him before he would wake up, only to find her gone, and then smash all levels of the Aburaya to rubble."

Chihiro laughed a little at this. But then suddenly her eyes widened as she recalled that moment while ordering a job from the old witch, and her outbursts caused a giant foot to break through one of the back doors, and baby crying following. _That must have been Boh, _she thought. That poor worker that had to stay behind…

A thought struck Chihiro. She turned to Haku with a quizzical brow. "So, what was that all about earlier? Just up and leaving like that at breakfast?" 

Haku laughed, making Chihiro smile. She loved hearing his laugh. It was so rare, but so worth it when it finally came out. "I'm sorry about all that."

"Yeah, you kinda worried me," She replied.

"It was nothing, though. I told Kamaji about what happened last night and I told him of my feelings… well, for you. He gave me a little… warning. Of course I knew all about it before, being an immortal spirit, but it was terrible when he repeated it to me and then you suddenly showed up."

Chihiro, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "Warned you about what, Haku?" 

Haku laughed nervously and ran a hand through his fine, perfectly cut hair, feeling terribly embarrassed and awkward. "You'll find out in time, Chihiro. I'd rather not ruin your childhood," He let out another one of his rare laughs, and Chihiro still left perplexed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

All the spirits made it back to the Aburaya. The trip didn't seem nearly as long returning as it did on the way to the beach.

Haku sighed. "Home sweet home," he muttered sarcastically, then turned his attention to the group. "Alright everyone, we've returned to the Bath House! Please get in single file again as you cross the bridge and re-enter the building, for everyone's own safety," He raised a hand, giving everyone permission to cross the bridge when they were in perfect order.

Haku stood off to the side as the line of spirits began moving. A small hand suddenly gripped the fabric covering his chest. He turned to Chihiro, her eyes pleading at him. For what, he couldn't understand.

"One more?" She whispered innocently.

Then it all instantly became clear. Haku took her gently by the shoulders and pushed them off behind a tall and conveniently wide tree. As soon as they were out of sight of the other spirits, he leaned down and captured Chihiro's lips one more time, exactly like the one shared the night before. A sudden holler of a spirit somewhere close by made Haku immediately pull away, but when he saw it wasn't intended for them, he turned back to Chihiro and gave another peck on her lips, then connected their foreheads.

"I have to go check in with Yubaba, and then I have to leave," He murmured.

A concerned expression spread across Chihiro's face. "Where are you going?"

"It's an important mission. I don't want to do it, but Yubaba is forcing me…" He trailed off and shut his eyes tight, as if in pain. _Forcing me to steal something precious from Zeniba, _was what he wanted to say, but the words never formed and came out. "I'll come back to help you soon," he said after a few moments.

"Haku!" Chihiro exclaimed, grabbing his sleeve just as he was walking away to leave. She pleaded again with her eyes. "Don't do something that you don't want to do! Please?"

Although it wasn't something he could promise, instead he answered her with a gentle and reassuring smile. He ran a hand through her hair and then revealed himself from out of the tree. Chihiro's eyes followed, and then she turned around the tree to continue watching him leave her, but he had disappeared from sight. She looked up at the sky in hopes of spotting his dragon form soaring to the top of the Bath House, to Yubaba's room, but she didn't see that, either.

She exhaled deeply through her nose and followed the crowd of spirits inside, meeting back up with Rin in the process. They prepared that afternoon for more work. It wasn't something that Chihiro was looking forward to, but she reassured herself that Haku would come back to her, soon.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The night came and went, much too slowly to Chihiro's liking. Then, the following morning, Chihiro had awoken from a nightmare she had of not being able to identify which pigs were her parents through the hundreds in that pen. She feared she was forgetting what her parents looked like. It was that morning when everyone in the women's bedroom was gone, and Chihiro went out to investigate. She almost went down the stairs when Rin came up to her with a piece of gold between her fingertips, telling her of a new guest who was loaded with gold and giving it to everyone. An image of No-Face suddenly flashed in her mind. Suspiciously, she asked who the guest was, but Rin didn't give the response that she wanted: "Oh, who cares?"

Chihiro, instead of getting herself rich, went back into the bedroom and slid the door open that led to the balcony. It had rained heavily last night, and the water had flooded over the train tracks. It was truly a sea.

"Where is Haku?" Chihiro wondered to herself, eyeing the pig pens up ahead, where her parents were lying lazily. She sighed. "He better get here before I forget what my parents look like," she folded her arms on the rail and rested her head there, "I sure hope dad hasn't gotten too fat." 

A calming breeze floated over the surface of the water, and Chihiro closed her eyes. Then, suddenly, an abnormal sound of something flying through the air caught the attention of Chihiro's ears. She opened one eye to see, and something white slithered in her view. She raised her head to see her dragon, her best friend, being chased by a flock of paper birds, cutting him to no end. Haku was back from his mission.

**And that's the end! Haha, a strange way to wrap up this story, I know, but I thought it would make sense what scene we would see next after the beach. So, the last part was what happened in the movie – you can probably guess what comes after. **

**A big thank you to those that have stuck with this story from the beginning. I hope it satisfied your need of Chihiro/Haku fluff, I had a lot of fun writing it. I probably should get back to Emotions Galore, though, huh? ^_^;; hehe. **


End file.
